NCRI Iran News | Nuclear

Iran Nuclear Deal and October 15 Deadline

NCRI - Interview with Mohammad Ali Towhidi, member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

The October 15 deadline on compliance of Iran with nuclear deal is approaching and this issue is making the headlines on international media. The US media reports indicate that the US government will not approve Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal.

Of course, there are different opinions. A few days ago at the Senate meeting, General Mattis said the deal was in the US interest and 180 Democrats from the House of Representatives have written to Trump to stay in the agreement, and if he pulls out, there would be some risks. On the other hand, there is the European Union's attempt to persuade the United States to stay in the nuclear agreement. In summary, different opinions are expressed in this regard.

Mr. Mohammad Ali Towhidi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, in an interview with Simay Azadi TV on October 8, answers the question of whether one can predict what decision Trump will announce. He says:

“Based on the speeches made by the U.S. President and the discussions and analyzes that the US authorities and media offer, it seems almost certain that Trump will not approve. For the first time in the 90 days headlines, the United States will not endorse the implementation and compliance of Iran regime.”

Mr. Towhidi adds: “The question is whether the Iranian regime has fulfilled its obligation in a transparent, complete and verifiable manner. There is another question whether this agreement is in the US interest or not? Regarding this primary and preliminary question, we know that the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Ms. Nicky Haley, and the President of the United States and various U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the inspections are inaccurate and incomplete. Ms. Haley even went to Vienna to speak with the director general of the IAEA, Mr. Amano, in order to implement complete inspections. Some American parties have also confirmed that this should be done. Amano himself also said that.”

“"So, it turns out that they are talking about the verifiability and transparency of this compliance. Whether it is for the benefit of the United States or not, Trump said in his election term that the deal was not in the US interest and that it is the worst possible agreement. So he does not seem to confirm.”

“On the other hand, the international aspect of the case is part of a comprehensive U.S. strategy towards the regime. They announce this strategy at the same time. These two issues coincide. It was very interesting that Tillerson had said a few days ago that it is just a small part of the many issues that we have with the Iranian regime. As a result, this issue is also raised.”

According to Mr. Towhidi, the case has connections with the EU and the P5+1, and it also relates to their international obligations and relations. So the case is very sensitive.

Question: Assume that Trump does not confirm the regime's compliance. The question is what is going to happen? What importance does this matter have? What difference will it make to the current situation?

Mohammad Ali Towhidi: The issue is that there is a comprehensive policy against the regime. It could be very decisive for the regime if the principle of the nuclear agreement is not confirmed.”

“In my opinion, the speech made by the President of the United States at the General Assembly for the first time confirms the right of the Iranian people to resist this illegitimate regime; a regime that the people of Iran do not accept and have the right to change.”

“These are unprecedented words that were not heard during Obama's 16 years presidency and even before that. It can be said that this is the end of a 60-years period. From the Mossadeq era, we did not see that in the United States this right and this fact in relation to Iran are explicitly recognized.”

“So if this is not confirmed and this change is made, the principle of the change that I mentioned is materialized. That is, this policy, this turning point, and this change of course on the political and international scene, is the end of the era of the clerical regime's exploitation of this policy, which has used it a lot.”

“Once the Iranian Resistance leader (Massoud Rajavi) had said that we have never said that this regime was subordinate, because the medieval regime was not at all functionally subordinate and dependent. But in Iran's history, at least in the last 200 years, no government has ever used the opportunities provided to them by the appeasement policy as much as the regime.

Thus, it can be said that the end of this period is going to be materialized; the regime with the nuclear dossier had taken the Iranian people and the world hostage. So this is a turning point.”